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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25866883">Jericho</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tillyenna/pseuds/tillyenna'>tillyenna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Men's Hockey RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Friendship, Gen, Homophobic Language, Homophobic parenting, Keith Tkachuk's A+ Parenting, Terrible hockey parents</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:00:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25866883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tillyenna/pseuds/tillyenna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Robbie Thomas is staying with the Tkachuk's during his first season with the Blues. It's everything he could ever dream of, that is until the two Tkachuk boys come home during his playoff run, and he's back spending time with his most annoying teammate from his time on the Knights</p><p>This weeks prompt was "So you’re a coward? You hide away this entirely different part to yourself all because you’re afraid that someone might get close to you! You’re afraid that someone might just care about you more than you think you deserve.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Robert Thomas &amp; Matthew Tkachuk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Jericho</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I am well aware that RobThom and Matty are actually friends, lets pretend they aren't ok?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Being able to live with Keith Tkachuk is like, the greatest honour Robbie can imagine. Big Freakin Walt himself, it’s crazy. Obviously, he’s met the guy before, he’d played with Matty on the knights, but Matty isn’t much like the rest of his family, a fact for which Robbie finds himself increasingly grateful.</p><p>When he moves in, Brady’s just moved out, but that’s the way with hockey families, particularly hockey families who billet kids who are the same age as their own, you just kind of swap one kid for another. Taryn doesn’t seem particularly bothered to have another hockey player around the house, although Robbie tries to steer clear of her, the last thing he wants is for Big Walt to think he’s corrupting his teenage daughter. Robbie chooses to sleep in Matty’s room, mostly because it’s covered in blues memorabilia and stuff from his time on the knights – so it’s familiar.</p><p>Matty’s the biggest blues fan Robbie knows, which is probably embarrassing for him, since he plays for another team, but he’d texted when Robbie had been drafted with just one word “Jealous”.</p><p>He tries to avoid talking about Matty in the Tkachuk household, he watches his games with Big Walt, because it seems rude not to, but when Taryn asks him what it was like playing with her oldest brother he avoids the questions.</p><p>“He’s fast,” he says succinctly, “Really speedy on the ice, thinks fast too.”</p><p>“I know what he’s like as a player,” she rolls her eyes in the way that only a teenaged girl can, “I meant what was it like just hanging out with him.”</p><p>Robbie falters, but then Big Walt steps in “Enough questions Taryn,” he says in his booming voice, the one that brokers no arguments, especially not in his house, “I expect Robbie found Matty just as irritating to spend time with as the rest of us do.”</p><p>“Matty isn’t irritating.” Taryn pouts.</p><p>“He does know how to get under your skin,” Robbie tries to be diplomatic.</p><p>He’s surprised when Keith lets out a booming laugh, clapping him on the back, “You don’t have to mince your words Tommy,” he shakes his head, “Chantal and I are well aware of what an irritating little shit Matthew is.”</p><p>Thankfully, the conversation seems to steer away from it after that, although Taryn glares at him solidly for the next two weeks.</p><p>They don’t really talk about Matthew, although when they watch his games, Big Walt is always quick to point out where he’s gone wrong. Robbie wishes he’d had that, someone to tell him where his mistakes were, tell him how to fix them. Of course, he has it now, and he’s so grateful, he’s growing so much as a player.</p><p>When the Blues make the playoffs, he’s ecstatic, but Calgary and Ottowa don’t, so that means both Tkachuk boys are heading back.</p><p>“I can find somewhere else to stay,” Robbie offers nervously when Keith mentions the boys are coming back.</p><p>“No.” Big Walt has this way of speaking which means you know he’s made up his mind, and you’d be a fucking fool to argue with him. “The boys can share, and if they don’t like it, then Matthew can find somewhere else to stay – he’s older than you, and he’s not playing playoff hockey.”</p><p>You don’t argue with the man who’s letting you live in his house, so that’s that.</p><p>“Hey room stealer.” Matty grins as soon as he sees Robbie, all easy smiles and teasing, which on one hand, Robbie didn’t expect from someone who’s season is over, on the other hand, it’s Ratty Tkachuk, so what else should he expect. “Enjoy sleeping in my bed? I know you like dreaming of me”</p><p>Robbie rolls his eyes, “Fuck off Chucky.”</p><p>Mostly, they avoid each other, Brady and Matthew are like some kind of freaky unit, they wake at the same time, work out at the same time, they hang out with the same people and they never seem to be apart. Robbie’s glad he’s working hard, because honestly, Chucky is the most irritating person he knows, and he doesn’t need that kind of extra stress.</p><p>One day he comes home however to find Taryn with her homework books spread out across the kitchen table, that’s not too unusual, what is unusual however is that Matty is sat at her side.</p><p>“Remember,” he’s saying in her ear, “It’s like a fucking seesaw, gotta keep it balanced. If you change the thing on one side, you gotta change it on the other.”</p><p>Taryn leans into him a little, and Matty drops a kiss on top of her head, “You’re doing fine kid,” he grins at her, free and easy, “You’re the clever one in this family, remember?”</p><p>Taryn snorts at him, “Can’t leave that to you and Brades.”</p><p>“Hey.” Matty chides her softly, “Brades is smart in his own way, you’re the book smart one, Brades is like, feelings smart or whatever.”</p><p>It’s so strange, and Robbie feels like an intruder, even though he’s been living in this house for over half a year. He’s never seen Matty like this, Ratty Matty is always having a go at people, he’s never kind, he’s certainly not patient.</p><p>A fact he is reminded of when Matty’s head snaps up and he notices Robbie standing there. “You need Math homework help too dumbass?”</p><p>Robbie rolls his eyes, and leaves them to it.</p><p>He wonders if it’s a fluke, because Taryn’s just a kid, and she’s Matty’s baby sister, but then later they’re all hanging out watching a rerun of one of Brady’s games, and Big Walt is doing his Big Walt thing, where he helpfully points out where you could improve.</p><p>Big Walt and Chantal always go to bed first, it’s an old people thing, but the second they’re out of the room, Matty turns to his brother.</p><p>“Don’t fucking listen Brades,” he says softly, “You played your fucking heart out out there, and it showed ok?”</p><p>Brady shrugs, “Didn’t get us to the playoffs.”</p><p>“You can’t carry that team Brady,” Matty’s voice is stern, but kind, “You can’t carry the team and you shouldn’t be expected to, just because ‘he’ wants you to,” it’s obvious and pointed who he means, and their eyes flash simultaneously at the ceiling, towards Big Walt’s bedroom, “doesn’t mean it’s a realistic expectation.”</p><p>“He was just being helpful.” Robbie feels compelled to point out. “Like what he said about the power play and…”</p><p>“Shut up,” Matty snaps at him, “You aren’t invited to this conversation.”</p><p>And isn’t that just typical Matty, so Robbie sighs, and pockets his phone as he stands up, heading to bed.</p><p>He’s asleep, when there comes a knock on the door, and he opens it to see Matty stood there, still dressed, so he obviously hasn’t gone to bed yet. “You and I need to talk.”</p><p>“What the fuck?” Robbie checks his watch, “It’s the middle of the fucking night.” He pauses, “If Walt knows you’ve woken me up on the night before a game.”</p><p>“Oh fuck him.” Matty snaps, “He can kick me out if he wants to, won’t be the first time, certainly won’t be the last.” He gives an easy shrug, “I’m not hear to talk about him.”</p><p>“Fine.” Robbie steps aside, and it feels weird to be letting Matty into his own room, but it’s Robbie’s room too at this point. “Make it quick then.”</p><p>“You ever say anything about my brother’s game again, and I won’t even need to be on the ice to fight you.”</p><p>“Oh fuck off,” Robbie snaps, “I’m just saying what your dad said, and like, you two don’t have any idea how fucking beneficial it is to have him here, to point out all of that stuff, you act like it’s a fucking burden.”</p><p>“Beneficial.” Matty snorts, “To you, maybe, as an adult, when we were kids? Yeah, fuck no.” He shakes his head, “Brady’s not like me,” he doesn’t call Brady soft, but that’s the implication, “He can’t deal with this shit like I can, so he needs me there to step in the way, to remind him that he’s a good hockey player, otherwise all he hears is Dad’s criticisms, ok.”</p><p>Robbie shrugs.</p><p>“Just stay out of it Thomas, I’m warning you.”</p><p>“Will you let me sleep now?”</p><p>Matty rolls his eyes, but flounces out of the room, presumably heading back to Brady’s room to sleep.</p><p>So Matthew Tkachuk is like a super protective big brother, which was a side of Matty Robbie honestly hadn’t expected. He sees less of Matty than Brady during the days however, and he eventually gets it out of Taryn that he coaches some under 7s down at a local rec team.</p><p>“What?” Robbie laughs, “His NHL salary not enough?”</p><p>“Dude,” Brady shakes his head, “He doesn’t get paid, it’s just Matty likes kids, and he’s a good teacher ok?”</p><p>Robbie can’t picture it, “Growing an entire generation of Rats, not sure that’s the best plan.”</p><p>“Fuck off,” Brady sighs, “You’ve played with him, you know he’s a fucking good player.”</p><p>“He could be.” Big Walt has chosen that moment to walk into the room, “If he focused on his game and not running his fucking mouth, and if he put half as much work into his training as he does into coaching someone else’s kids, or traipsing round a hospital ward.”</p><p>Chantal looks up from where she’s preparing dinner, mild and the mediator as always, “It’s good for his reputation,” she reminds him.</p><p>“Sure,” Keith laughs darkly, “When he gets suspended for ending someone’s career with his dirty plays, they can look back on all the charity work he’s done.”</p><p>Robbie would be lying if he said he wasn’t glad to get out of the house when their series takes them to the other teams barn. He’s loved living with Keith, Chantal and Taryn, but with Matty and Brady back in the house the atmosphere is sour and tense. The plane ride out is fine, the wins are incredible, but the plane ride back is hell. He’d taken a bad hit in the final period of the last game, desperate players hit harder, and they’re flying back in the middle of the night to get as much rest before the next game in their own beds.</p><p>He drives back to the Tkachuk’s house in agony, and manages to get his bag inside the door, but the thought of taking it up the stairs makes him want to cry, so he leaves it by the door. It’s nearly 3am, and it’s dark, but he knows the way well enough to be able to find his room without turning any of the lights on. He strips out of his dress shirt and slacks, when there’s a soft knock on the door.</p><p>“Here.” Matty’s at the door, his smirk visible in the dim light, he’s got Robbie’s bag in one hand, and an icepack in the other. “You got fucking levelled bud,” he says holding out the icepack to Robbie, “Thought these might help.”</p><p>“The fuck?” Robbie frowns, but Matty’s disappeared again. He’s holding the icepack to his ribs when Matty re-appears, holding out a bottle of Gatorade and a bottle of painkillers.</p><p>“If you haven’t taken anything else, these should be fine.”</p><p>Robbie frowns, he’s tired and hurting and he’s confused, “Since when are you nice?”</p><p>“I’m always nice.” Matty grins at him, all teeth and confidence, and then disappears again.</p><p>Robbie ends up going to sleep with the icepack clutched against his side, and a frown on his face.</p><p>He ends up cornering Matty in their home gym the next day, because the fucker is messing with his head and he can’t take it any longer.</p><p>“Are you faking being nice?”</p><p>Matty outright laughs at him, “No Robbie, I’m not.”</p><p>“Why aren’t you normally this nice?”</p><p>Matty gives a careless shrug, which isn’t much of an answer.</p><p>“Seriously,” Robbie stares at him in utter confusion, “Everyone hates you because you’re a douchebag.”</p><p>“Good.” Matty answers, which is a weird thing to say.</p><p>“You don’t want anyone to like you?” Robbie is close to giving up on trying to wrap his head around Matthew Tkachuk’s brain.</p><p>“Not especially.” Matty swings his leg off the exercise bike, “And I’m happy to stop being nice to you if you want dickhead.”</p><p>“I just don’t get it.” Robbie shakes his head at him, “Why would you hide the fact you’re a nice person?”</p><p>Matty sighs, running a hand through his curls, “I don’t do well with friends.” He tells him, “If I like people then they can hurt me more, and I’m not going to fucking put myself through that.”</p><p>Robbie shakes his head at him in amazement. “So you’re a coward? You hide away this entirely different part to yourself all because you’re afraid that someone might get close to you! You’re afraid that someone might just care about you more than you think you deserve.”</p><p>Another careless shrug from Matty.</p><p>“That isn’t fair.” Robbie stares at him, “Like every single player in this league fucking hates you Matty.”</p><p>“Not all of them.” Matty gives him a tired grin, “Brady doesn’t.”</p><p>“I just don’t understand why.”</p><p>Matty rolls his eyes. “Fine.” He snaps, “Dinner tonight, I’ll be nice, to a friend, and you can see what happens.”</p><p>Robbie’s still confused when they hit dinner that evening, but he waits patiently, until Matty speaks.</p><p>“Mom,” Matty’s got his usual grin on, the one he seems to think is charming but everyone else thinks is smarmy. “Can I have a friend to stay?”</p><p>Chantal purses her lips.</p><p>“Which one?” Big Walt asks.</p><p>“Marns.”</p><p>“The faggy one from the leafs?” Walt rolls his eyes</p><p>“Dad!” Taryn’s eyes practically pop out of his head, “You can’t say that.”</p><p>“Why not?” Walt snorts, “He clearly is.”</p><p>“He has a girlfriend.” Brady points out, somewhat unhelpfully.</p><p>“So does Tyler Seguin.” Walt counters, “And no, you can’t.”</p><p>“Mom,” Matty turns to his mother, “He’s having a really rough time right now, and it’d be good for him to get out of Toronto.”</p><p>“Is it because he’s queer?” Walt asks before his wife can get a word in edgeways. “Because no.” He shakes his head, looking at his eldest son like he’s an idiot, “I can promise you this son, the one thing in this league that’s gonna make you look even more queer than your fucking haircut is spending time with that kid.”</p><p>Matty shrugs, and then shoots Robbie a pointed look. Robbie decides to drag him into his room after dinner. “So your dad doesn’t like gays, like that’s not uncommon in our world dude.”</p><p>Matty rolls his eyes, “It matters ok.” He sits down on the bed, “Look, if I’m nice to people my dad will call me a fag, and if I’m an asshole he calls me a rat.”</p><p>“He’s not wrong on that one.” Robbie feels compelled to point out.</p><p>“He’s not wrong on either one.” Matty says pointedly, “But being a dirty hockey player isn’t reason enough for him to stop me from seeing my siblings.”</p><p>“So you’d rather be someone everyone else hates, just so your dad doesn’t work out you’re gay?”</p><p>Matty gives a little shrug, “Something like that.” He sighs, “Look, I’m not saying it makes the most amount of sense, but I don’t like letting people in.”</p><p>“You can’t live like that Matty.” Robbie says softly, going to sit on the bed beside him.</p><p>“I know,” Matty sighs, “But right now, I kind of have to.” He draws his feet up onto the bed, hugging his knees to his chest, “I can’t risk anyone in our world finding out about me, because they’ll treat me the way he treats me, and I can only cope with one Big Walt in my life ok?”</p><p>“You’ve told me.” Robbie says softly.</p><p>Matty gives a careless shrug, “You seem pretty fucking soft Thomas, plus you didn’t out Mouse when my dad asked about him, so you can’t be that homophobic.”</p><p>Robbie shoots him a look, “I thought he had a girlfriend?”</p><p>Matty snorts, “Yeah, Stromer.”</p><p>“I’m not though,” Robbie feels the need to assure him, “And like, I won’t tell anyone about you.”</p><p>“Good.” Matty shoots him a grin that’s far more like the Matty he’s always known, “Because I will absolutely kill you in your sleep.”</p><p>It’s easier to see Matty as a person after that, knowing that every time he snipes at someone he’s sort of just protecting himself, but he lets his guard down around Robbie, and brings him stuff he needs, points out the things he did right after each game, which Robbie has to admit, is kind of a nice counterpoint to the critique that Walt gives him.</p><p>“Are we friends now?” He asks one day, they’re both lying on his bed, although technically it’s Matty’s bed too.</p><p>“Nope.” Matty smirks at him, “I don’t have friends.”</p><p>Robbie rolls his eyes and pokes him in between the ribs, knowing that Matty won’t retaliate because he’s yet again bruised. “Shut up a-hole. You totally have friends.”</p><p>“Name one.”</p><p>“Marner.” Robbie can’t help but feel smug.</p><p>“Fine.” Matty amends his statement. “I don’t have straight friends.”</p><p>Robbie frowns, “How do you know I’m straight?”</p><p>That just gets him a raised eyebrow from Matty which sets them both off giggling.</p><p>Giggling that draws the attention of Keith who was walking by.</p><p>“Jesus Christ,” he sticks his head into the door to the room, “What the fuck is this, you’re grown men, I expect Taryn to lie around on her bed having sleepovers with her friends, not you Matthew.”</p><p>“Sorry,” instantly, all trace of laughter is gone from Matty’s face. “Just…” he shakes his head, “Never mind.”</p><p>He has to walk past his dad to go out of the room, and Robbie sees Keith catch Matty by the bicep, probably hard enough to bruise. “You better be fucking careful son.” He hears the older man whisper, “You know what they say about people like you, and I won’t have people saying that about Robbie.”</p><p>“Sorry.” Matty says snarkily, and pulls his arm away, storming off to Brady’s room.</p><p>For a few days after that Matty is cold towards him, but Robbie can hardly blame him, just the idea that not only Keith though that the casual act of friendship was somehow unsavoury, but that he was more concerned about Robbie’s reputation than his own son’s, makes him feel sick to his stomach.</p><p>He doesn’t manage to catch Matty alone for another few days, but eventually, he’s passing Brady’s bedroom and Matty’s there, lying on the bed, legs outstretched.</p><p>“Hey,” Robbie knocks softly on the door frame.</p><p>“Thomas.” Matty doesn’t look up from his phone.</p><p>Robbie takes the executive decision and steps inside the room, closing the door behind him, Keith is out anyhow, but he doesn’t want anyone else walking in on them. “I wanted to apologise.” He says softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.</p><p>Matthew gives a little shrug, “Nothing to apologise for.”</p><p>“I get it,” Robbie tells him, “I get why you have these walls now, I understand why they’re important to you.”</p><p>Matty gives a tired little smile, “Good,” he says, “You can stop trying to persuade me away from my Rat King life now.”</p><p>Robbie reaches out to put a hand on Matty’s leg, he wants to touch him, truthfully, he wants to draw him into his arms and hold him tight, but he’s also pretty sure if he tried that Matty would punch him. “You don’t have to with me.” He says, “I’m not going to say anything if you want to hang out and be…” he tries to find the right word, “Soft.”</p><p>Matty snorts, “Unsurprising,” He grins at Robbie, “Since you’re apparently the softest player in this league.”</p><p>“Softest hands maybe.” Robbie shoots back. Something occurs to him suddenly and he asks “Do you have someone in Calgary, someone who knows…”</p><p>“Knows that I’m gay?” Matty asks.</p><p>Robbie snorts, “I actually meant who knows you’re not a total ass, but yeah, that too.”</p><p>Matty shrugs, “Sort of, maybe.” He doesn’t look Robbie in the eye as he admits it. “I don’t know.” He chews on his lip nervously, “I’m kind of hoping, about someone…”</p><p>“Oh my God.” Robbie grins, and he throws himself fully onto the bed, so he’s lying beside Matty, propped up on one elbow, “We’re buddies now Ratthew, and you are going to tell me everything.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>come visit me, <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/princesstillyenna">@princesstillyenna</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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